Note 855 — ANTIENT HEROES.

The history of Dionusus is closely connected with that of Bacchus, though they were two distinct persons. It is said of the former, that he was born at [855]Nusa in Arabia: but the people upon the Indus insisted, that he was a native of their [856]country; and that the city Nusa, near mount Meru, was the true place of his birth. There were, however, some among them, who allowed, that he came into their parts from the west; and that his arrival was in the most antient times. He taught the nations, whither he came, to build and to plant, and to enter into societies. To effect this, he collected the various families out of the villages in which they dwelt, and made them incorporate in towns and cities, which he built in the most commodious situations. After they were thus established, he gave them laws, and instructed them in the worship of the Gods. He also taught them to plant the Vine, and to extract the juice of the grape; together with much other salutary knowledge. This he did throughout all his [857]travels, till he had conquered every region in the East. Nor was it in these parts only, that he shewed himself so beneficent a conqueror; but over all the habitable [858]world. The account given by the Egyptians is consonant to that of the Indians: only they suppose him to have been of their own country; and to have set out by the way of Arabia and the Red Sea, till he arrived at the extremities of the East. He travelled also into [859]Lybia, quite to the Atlantic; of which performance Thymætes is said to have given an account in an antient Phrygian poem. After his Indian expedition, which took him up three years, he passed from Asia by the Hellespont into Thrace, where Lycurgus withstood him, and at last put him to flight. He came into Greece; and was there adopted by the people, and represented as a native of their country. He visited many places upon the Mediterranean; especially Campania, and the coast of Italy, where he was taken prisoner by the Hetrurian pirates. Others say, that he conquered all [860]Hetruria. He had many attendants; among whom were the Tityri, Satyri, Thyades, and Amazons. The whole of his history is very inconsistent in respect both to time and place. Writers therefore have tried to remedy this by introducing different people of the same name. Hence Dionusus is multiplied into as many [861]personages as Hercules. His history was looked upon as very interesting; and therefore was the chief theme of all the antient [862]bards. His flight, styled φυγη Διονυσου, was particularly [863]recorded. He was the same as Osiris; and many of the later mythologists acknowledged this truth. Αιγυπτιοι μεν γαρ τον παρ' αυτοις θεον Οσιριν ονομαζομενον φασιν ειναι τον παρ' Ἑλλησι Διονυσον τουτον δε μυθολογουσιν επελθειν πασαν την οικουμενην—Ὁμοιως δε και τους Ινδους τον θεον τουτον παρ' ἑαυτοις αποφανεσθαι γεγονεναι. The Egyptians, says [864]Diodorus, maintain that their God Osiris is no other than the Dionusus of Greece: And they farther mention, that he travelled over the face of the whole earth—In like manner the Indi assure us, that it is the same Deity, who wan conversant in their [865]country.